Raymarine route waypoint change confirmation requirement

[wackerb]

Does anyone else have a problem with Raymarine's insistence on setting an alarm and requiring confirmation at each waypoint change in a route?

Recently I was going through a particularly dangerous entrance into Kaipara Bay in New Zealand where countless ships have been wrecked on the sand bar. I got the waypoints for a safe route from a local Coast Guard member and entered them into a route for my autopilot to follow. Part way through the route I had to go below to use the radio because the helm was too noisy. While away from the helm the route called for a turn which was alarmed and delayed pending confirmation. Of course, I couldn't hear the alarm below, or at the helm for that matter, but saw it on the plotter when I came back up and got back on course. This happened twice in about 6 waypoints.

I know that in Navico there is a settable option to require confirmation at a user defined angle of change, but not so with Raymarine. I've written them about it and was told it won't change "because we've always done it that way". They get into what-if arguments about the relative safety of keeping a course or changing it, which are completely bogus. If you have already plotted a route then that has the highest probability of safety! To me it is akin to giving a helmsman navigation instructions and then having them question every turn.

Fortunately I caught the confirmations in time and safely negotiated the bars, but I find the autopilot's insistence on my full attention at every waypoint change to be intrusive and, actually, dangerous.

What do you think?

[mikedefieslife]

I find it annoying when out in wide open waters but useful at some other times. I would like a setting for it to be turned off, perhaps for a set time, distance, or route.

I think OpenCPN can do this when controlling a Raymarine SeatalkNG autopilot, but I can't get it to work at all with mine.

All that being said. In tricky channels and dodgy areas I steer manually.

[s/v Moondancer]

I sailed 40,000nm using my Raymarine chartplotter with Navionics charts. There are certain elements of the system that were clearly produced by none sailors with no understanding of navigation. Having to confirm the course changes is irritating but the ability to 'turn off' images of rocks and aids to navigation so they do not clutter the nice picture of sea and land is absurd.

[pdqsailor]

What do you think?[/QUOTE]

I agree fully with you. I was GREATLY dismayed to find that the software will not permit auto routing without confirmation.

I just purchased and installed the full function wireless remote so I can acknowledge the course change from a position other than the helm. This way I can rig my boat on the way out and de rig on the way back in. The remote beeps and the confirmation can be done with one push of a button. This remote cost me $900 that I ONLY had to spend because Ray Marine are _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _. I mean that part too...

The reason they do this ... is because they are a defence contractor and they don't want their gear used to turn a boat into a floating cruise missile - it has zero to do with safety and everything to do with politics.